List of defunct rugby league clubs

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This is a list of defunct professional rugby league clubs. It does not include reformed rugby league clubs, like the Sheffield Eagles or York City Knights. In these cases the spirit of the clubs, and their location, were unchanged, but the club was a new legal entity with a new administration. Where the club relocated to a significantly different town or area, this club can be considered defunct. This eliminates Fulham, who became the London Crusaders, then the London Broncos who became Harlequins Rugby League

1 Australia
2 England
3 France
4 New Zealand
- 4.1 Bartercard Cup (2000-)
- 4.2 Lion Red Cup (1994-1996)
5 Wales
6 References

[edit] Australia

[edit] New South Wales Rugby League (1908-1994)

Club	First year	Last Year	Reason
Annandale	1910	1920
Cumberland	1908	1908
Glebe Dirty Reds	1908	1929
Newcastle Rebels	1908	1909	Newcastle exist in the modern day competition, in a new form. The "original" Newcastle side disbanded in 1909 to form the Newcastle competition, and the "modern" Newcastle Knights were formed in 1988.
Newtown Jets	1908		Newtown Jets still exist at New South Wales Cup level.
University	1920	1937

[edit] ARL (1995-1997), SL (1997) and NRL (1998-)

Club	First Year	Last Year	Reason
Adelaide Rams	1997	1998	Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Balmain Tigers	1908	1999	Merged with the Western Suburbs Magpies to become the Wests Tigers in 2000.
Gold Coast Chargers	1988	1998	Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Hunter Mariners	1997	1997	Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Illawarra Steelers	1982	1998	Merged with the St. George Dragons to become the St George Illawarra Dragons in 1999.
North Sydney Bears	1908	1999	Merged with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles to become the Northern Eagles in 2000.
Northern Eagles	2000	2002	Reverted to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles for the 2003 NRL Season.
St. George Dragons	1921	1998	Merged with the Illawarra Steelers to become the St George Illawarra Dragons in 1999.
South Queensland Crushers	1995	1997	Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Western Reds	1995	1997	Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Western Suburbs Magpies	1908	1999	Merged with the Balmain Tigers to become the Wests Tigers in 2000.

[edit] Queensland Cup (1996-)

This section particularly includes the Queensland Rugby League sides which no longer compete in the top level of that league.

Club	First year	Last Year
Brothers-Valleys	2002	2002
Bundaberg Grizzlies
Cairns Cyclones	1996	1996
Central Capras
Gold Coast Vikings	1982	1995
Logan Scorpions	1987	2002
Mackay Sea Eagles
Past Brothers	1917	1998
Port Moresby Vipers
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Souths Magpies	1921	2002
Toowoomba Clydesdales	1996	2006
Townsville Stingers
Wests Panthers	1915	2003

[edit] Brisbane Rugby League (1909-1997)

Club	First year	Last Year
Fortitude Valley Diehards	1909	1995
Milton
Toombul	1996	1996
University	1922	1933

[edit] England

These clubs competed in the Northern Union and the rugby leagues from 1895. National League 3 (2002-2006), whilst not by strict definition amateur, is not recognised as a professional league.

Acton & Willesden (1935-1936)

Altrincham (1901-1902)

Birkenhead Wanderers (1901-1904)

Blackpool Borough (1954-1993)

Became Springfield Borough (1987-1988); Chorley Borough (1988); Trafford Borough (1989-1992). Moved back to Blackpool in 1992 as Blackpool Gladiators (1992-1993).

Bradford (1864-1907)

Switched to association football and became Bradford (Park Avenue).

Bramley (1896-1999)

Bramley were reformed as Bramley Buffaloes in 2004, joining National League 3.

Brighouse Rovers (1895-1906)

Broughton Rangers (1895-1946)

Relocated and renamed Belle Vue Rangers (1946-1955)

Carlisle / Carlisle Border Raiders (1981-1997)

Merged with Barrow Braves to become Barrow Border Raiders, now called Barrow Raiders

Carlisle City (1928, resigned mid-season)

Chorley Borough / Chorley / Chorley Magpies / Chorley Chieftans / Lancashire Lynx / Chorley Lynx (1988-1993, 1995-2004)

Chorley Borough became Trafford Borough in 1989 but there was still a club called Chorley in 1989-1990 who then became Chorley Borough again. They were re-admitted as the Chorley Chieftans who became Lancashire Lynx (playing near to Chorley) and then the Chorley Lynx (back in Chorley). In 2004 the club moved to Blackpool as Blackpool Panthers.

Coventry (1910-1913)

Goole (1901-1902)

Heckmondwike (1896-1899, 1901-1902)

Holbeck (1896-1904)

Kent Invicta / Southend Invicta(1983-1985)

Became Southend Invicta for the 1984/85 season

Lancaster (1901-1905)

Leeds Parish Church (1896-1903)

Liverpool City (1906-1907)

The original Liverpool City - unconnected to the Liverpool City which played between 1951 and 1968.

Liversedge (1895-1902)

Manningham (1895-1903)

Switched to association football and became Bradford City.

Mansfield Marksmen (1984-1989)

Millom (1899-1907, still survives as an amateur club)

Morecambe (1896-1899, 1901-1907)

Newcastle (1936-1938)

Normanton (1901-1907, still survives as an amateur club)

Nottingham City (1989-1993)

Continued as an amateur club after relegation from the professional leagues in 1993.

Pontefract (1903-1906)

Radcliffe (1901-1902)

Runcorn (1895-1914)

Scarborough Pirates (1991-1992)

South Shields (1902-1904)

Sowerby Bridge (1901-1902)

St Helens Rec (1918-1939)

Reformed as an amateur side in 1949.

Stockport (1895-1903)

Streatham & Mitcham (1935-1936)

Tyldesley (1895-1900)

Wigan Highfield / London Highfield / Liverpool Stanley / Liverpool City / Huyton / Runcorn Highfield / Highfield / Prescot Panthers (1922-1997)

Wigan Highfield moved to London in 1933 and played one season as London Highfield. At the end of the season they moved to Liverpool, becoming Liverpool Stanley (1934-1951) and Liverpool City (1951-1968). They left Liverpool and continued as Huyton (1969-1985); Runcorn Highfield (1985-1990); Highfield (1991-1996) and Prescot Panthers (1996-7).